My Haunted Soul
by Satiah
Summary: His grisly, insane face swarmed to the forefront of my vision. I knew he would always wait for my return; he couldn't haunt me otherwise. Even if he was the other half of my own soul.


Yu-Gi-Oh! (c) Kazuki Takahashi

... ... ...

Out of the smothering blackness appeared his grisly smile, that disturbing grin of horror; his face was once again swarming maggot-like into the forefront of my memory. His skin was no more, having long ago rotted and peeled away to nothingness. His eyes were vacant: two empty holes forever gazing into a deepening, unearthly darkness. His teeth were sharply and unfathomably white, flashing menacingly in my mind's eye. I saw the naked skull's jaw unhinge, drop, and clatter; I heard his evil, maniacal cackle, rumbling and roiling. I stood there, frozen, as my blood rushed itself cold and my heart pounded deafening rivers in my ears.

_I couldn't take it anymore!_

Before I could scream, it was over. I awoke trembling, whimpering, and swatting weakly for him to get away, to just leave me alone. But I knew he never would; it was impossible. He was now an inseparable part of me. His soul was seared to my own by the wrath of devilry, and he had become the half which thrived alone in a cavernous and twisted darkness. He was the part that lived for nothing more than bloodshed, terror, and pain. The rotting corpse of a heart—_but he was all I had left._

And yet, I wanted nothing more than a reprieve, an escape. I wanted to banish him and his tainted, dirtied soul away from me forever! I wanted to run away, far away, and never stop running.

_I wanted him to die._

But dead he already was. And that was why he would never leave me alone. We were fused together by a corrupt connection of souls, of breath, of life, of death. He couldn't exist without me, nor could I exist without him. _Damn my dependency on this parasite!_

I sobbed in disbelieving, frustrated grief as I tried to escape the horrors of my own mind. I knew my relief was only temporary; he unfailingly returned to haunt me from the depths of my sweetest dreams. I knew he was there: forever lurking, shrinking, escaping behind the closed lids of my consciousness. Waiting. Eternally patient.

I felt as if I would break. But, sitting still, I felt a comforting hand warm my shoulder, gripping me tightly. My sister was there, solid and real, comforting me in her own way. I turned my face and buried it in her dress. She held me tightly, whispering ancient words as she soothed away my nightmares. I smiled, appreciative of her gentle kindness. She looked back at me, ruffled my hair, and gave me a playful punch on the arm as she called me a baby. I sniffed in defiance and hit her back. Since I was upset she let me, smiling her _I'll Get You Later_ smile in the way big sisters do.

She tucked me back into my bed, telling me some ridiculous story of the stupid things people did at the museum that week. I giggled as she gestured out some of the visitors' antics, and she smiled as she always did when she finally succeeded in cheering me up. Satisfied, I snuggled back under the covers and she left my room to return to her own. At peace, I closed my eyelids and once again gave up my mind to the darkness of slumber.

But, once again, he was there: faithfully, loyally waiting for me. My innermost darkness: smiling that grisly, bare-toothed smile as his steady, muscular arms raised my own dagger high above his head. Pausing to consider me with soulless eyes, he brought the blade down, pushing it deep into my heart. A consuming chill washed over me as he withdrew the blade and left me there, bleeding, gasping, fighting my fight alone. Turning his back on me, he walked on, casually leaving the corridor with steps of puddled red glistening behind him. I sank to my knees as he assumed control of our shared body.

Defeated, I threw my scattered, tattered self into the forgotten, sinking into its swirling blacks, blues, purples, and reds in unhurried relief. At last, there would be some peace. Some rest for my half of our shared, darkly shredded soul.

Some escape.

_I only hoped Isis would escape, too._


End file.
